Rest and Renewal at McCormick
MARCH 3, 2026
On the sixth day God finished the work that God had done, and God rested on the seventh day from all the work that God had done. Genesis 2:2 (NRSVUE)
The second annual employee retreat at McCormick Theological Seminary centered rest and renewal as necessary practices of wellness. In January 2026, MTS employees gathered away from our campus to reset the rhythm of work and embodied life rhythms.
Co-sponsored by the Office of the President and the Trauma Healing Initiative (THI), daily facilitators engaged MTS staff through teaching and learning experiences that included community dialogues in Circle, small group conversations, wellness practices, and the healing presence of music. It was an important communal commitment that countered the depletion of energy and burnout.
Dr. Marguerite Griffin, curator of Inhalene Health and Wellness Coaching, facilitated a day of learning about seven types of rest. The gathered community responded to questions about each type of rest and assessed how and when it is practiced, or what growing edges exist related to them.
Of note was the connection to theology and Christian practices that either support or make rest a challenge. Reminders were offered about the need to know one’s natural life rhythm related to work and not feel the pressure of exerting effort in ways that diminish energy and our best selves. Busyness does not equate with productivity, nor quantity with quality.
As president, I offered the latitude to find our embodied best flow and respect how it manifests. We must learn, in the words of Rev. Tricia Hersey, curator of The Nap Ministry, that rest is both resistance and holy. The MTS staff agreed on accountability exercises to help each other “check in” on nourishing our bodies, minds, and spirits throughout the work week.
Our retreat culminated with Notes of Rest, composed by accomplished pianist, recording artist, and worship leader Julian Davis Reid. As Reid invited us to listen to meditative piano suites, we focused on centering questions for each musical meditation. The intentional minimizing of verbal word usage to sound created space for openness and self-selected engagement with tones that renew. We left refreshed, connected, and empowered to find our pace.
As a seminary committed to social justice, we remain keenly aware of how life in our nation impacts our livelihood. When human rights are in jeopardy, and communities struggle to maintain safety and wellness, we need strategies of recovery. The McCormick retreat provided much-needed space to step away from the barrage of to-do lists and the continual external assaults on our senses and sensibilities. May the entire McCormick community learn to work well and BE WELL.
If God rested and has rhythms of rest, so should we.
This article was originally published in the email edition of student publication, The Herald.
